A method for forming mesophase pitch can include applying a stimulus to a first amount of coal tar to form a first amount of mesophase pitch. The stimulus can include one or more of an electromagnetic field (EMF) or a magnetic field. The method can further include evaluating a characteristic of the first amount of mesophase pitch, changing a parameter of the stimulus in response to evaluating the characteristic of the first amount of mesophase pitch, and applying the stimulus exhibiting the changed parameters to a second amount of coal tar to form mesophase pitch.

An apparatus and method of predicting or determining temperature for thermal cracking of a composite material. Such method includes: (1) reducing the temperature of a composite material along a range of temperatures from a first temperature to a second temperature; (2) measuring dimensional changes in the composite material at a plurality of temperature points along the range of temperatures to generate a curve related to values for the coefficient of thermal expansion for the composite material; and (3) determining the transition temperature for the composite material, the transition temperature being at the intersection of two asymptotes of the curve, wherein the transition temperature correlates to the thermal cracking temperature of the composite material.

A process for making mesophase and/or isotropic pitch. An aromatic rich liquid is charged at high temperature and pressure to a first thermal polymerization reactor to produce an isotropic pitch rich liquid which is flashed. Residual liquid is charged to a second thermal reactor to produce mesophase pitch. The reactors can be either tubular reactors or CSTRs.

Disclosed is method that involves subjecting a base material to an extraction process to extract hydrocarbon fractions having molecular weights within a desired range from the base material to generate a resultant extraction material comprising mostly if not entirely of hydrocarbon fractions having molecular weights within the desired range. In some embodiments, the extraction process can involve performing the extraction in iterations.

Pitch compositions may be obtained by subjecting one or more crude oils to steam cracking. Processes for producing pitch compositions suitable for spinning into fibers from steam cracking of crude oils may comprise: steam cracking of one or more crude oils in a steam cracking zone to produce a first effluent comprising a heavy oil mixture comprising a steam cracker tar, a second effluent comprising a mixture of gaseous products and liquid products, and a third effluent comprising one or more bottoms products; pretreating and heat treating the first, second and/or third effluent to produce a pitch composition having a mesophase content from 0 vol % to 100 vol %, based on the total volume of the pitch product, an MCR in the range of about 40 wt % to about 95 wt %, and a softening point T.sub.sp in the range of about 50 C. to about 400 C.

The use of recycled materials can have significant economic value. With the increasing quantity of recycled material used in viscoelastic materials, especially asphalt mixture, understanding how they interact with original materials to produce a mixture that performs successfully, becomes critical. Currently, the technology to determine the effect of additives on the performance of asphalt mixture is lacking. The present invention relates to a new unified methodology for mechanical testing of asphalt mixture and other viscoelastic materials that improves the current practice in speed, convenience, and accuracy. A new improved specimen mounting method on Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR), a new recovery method for fine portion of asphalt mixture, and three new tests for the performance of recovered material using DSR is disclosed. The new methods provide performance grading of asphalt mixtures that is new to the industry and provide necessary tools for determining the effect of recycled materials on performance.

The present invention relates to a method for producing an impregnated pitch from a petroleum-based raw material and to an impregnated pitch produced using the same, and when the method for producing an impregnated pitch according to the present invention is used, it is possible to produce an impregnated pitch having a high carbonization yield (40 wt % or more) and low quinoline insoluble matter (QI, 2% or less) for improving efficiency of an impregnation process from a petroleum-based raw material. Therefore, when an impregnation process is applied to a carbon compact by using the impregnated pitch according to the present invention, it is possible to remarkably reduce micropores inside the carbon compact, and to produce a carbon compact having physical properties such as excellent electrical conductivity and mechanical strength.

A method for forming mesophase pitch can include applying a stimulus to a first amount of coal tar to form a first amount of mesophase pitch. The stimulus can include one or more of an electromagnetic field (EMF) or a magnetic field. The method can further include evaluating a characteristic of the first amount of mesophase pitch, changing a parameter of the stimulus in response to evaluating the characteristic of the first amount of mesophase pitch, and applying the stimulus exhibiting the changed parameters to a second amount of coal tar to form mesophase pitch.

A method for producing mesophase pitch includes the steps of flushing a vessel with an at least substantially inert gas to remove air and oxygen from the vessel; charging the vessel with a hydrocarbon feed; pressurizing the vessel to an initial increased pressure; heating the vessel to a pre-determined temperature; and maintaining the vessel at the pre-determined temperature for an amount of time operable to upgrade the hydrocarbon feed to a product comprising mesophase pitch.

Methods are provided to prepare a low sulfur fuel from hydrocarbon sources, such as light tight oil and high sulfur fuel oil, often less desired by conventional refiners, who split crude into a wide range of differing products and may prefer presence of wide ranges (C3 or C5 to C20 or higher) of hydrocarbons. These fuels can be produced by separating feeds into untreated and treated streams, and then recombining them. Such fuels can also be formulated by combinations of light, middle and heavy range constituents in a selected manner as claimed. Not only low in sulfur, the fuels of this invention are also low in nitrogen and essentially metals free. Fuel use applications include on-board large marine transport vessels but also on-shore for large land based combustion gas turbines, boilers, fired heaters and transport vehicles and trains.